Nomination Form

This award is given to a faculty and/or staff member who, through their own commitments and leadership, helped to foster a sense of community within the college. The recipient may have contributed to human causes or may have engaged in impactful sustainability efforts. This person is someone who maintains a positive perspective, consistently goes above and beyond, and makes an impact with their work. The recipient(s) will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate of achievement. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Nominees must be employed by the College of IST for a minimum of one year as of the nomination deadline. Any regular (as defined in policy HR34) IST staff members of the College of Information Sciences and Technology at University Park are eligible for the award. Term of employment is based on most recent IST date of hire (consecutive time) for full-time faculty and staff. Individuals that work 75% FTE are eligible. This does not include: wage, FT2, SUPP, adjunct, post-doc, visiting or emeritus. Individuals, who provide service to IST but their primary work unit (development, finance, human resources, etc.), is outside of IST are eligible. Award winners from the previous year are not eligible for that particular award the following year.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the supporting statement and examples of how the nominee has helped build a community within the college.

Nomination: Any staff or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials (including support statement).

Requirements:

• A completed nomination form that includes a brief statement (300-word limit) supporting your reasoning for this award nomination
• One additional supporting statement (300-word limit) from an individual within the college.
• Supplemental materials will not be accepted.

Selection Process: The nomination statements will be reviewed, and the recipients shall be selected by the IST Dean's Leadership Team. Any staff that are members of the Dean’s Leadership Team and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to these guidelines.

Past Winners

• 2023 - Tyler Estright, Jony Rommel
• 2022 - Grace Hakizimana, Frank Ritter
• 2021 - Jessica Hallman, Steve Bobb
• 2020 - Alison Laninger, Nick Giacobe
• 2019 - Michelle Corby, Pam Long
• 2017 - Kent Matsueda, Peggy Stanton
• 2016 - Lynette Yarger
• 2015 - Wendy Fay

Nomination Form

This award is given to a faculty and/or staff member who significantly contributed to making the College of IST a welcoming climate to foster diversity and promote equity. Recipients may demonstrate this commitment across a range of possibilities, including efforts to support student- or staff-centered inclusion initiatives; the recruitment and retention of diverse faculty, staff, and/or students; multicultural programming or related initiatives; and/or community outreach activities. The recipient(s) will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Nominees must be employed by the College of IST for a minimum of one year as of the nomination deadline. Any regular (as defined in policy HR34) IST staff members of the College of Information Sciences and Technology at University Park are eligible for the award. Term of employment is based on most recent IST date of hire (consecutive time) for full-time faculty and staff. Individuals that work 75% FTE are eligible. This does not include: wage, FT2, SUPP, adjunct, post-doc, visiting or emeritus. Individuals, who provide service to IST, but their primary work unit (development, finance, human resources, etc.), is outside of IST are eligible. Award winners from the previous year are not eligible for that particular award the following year.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the supporting statement and examples of how the nominee has contributed in making the College of IST a welcoming climate to foster diversity and promote equity.

Nomination: Any staff or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials (including support statement).

Requirements:

• A completed nomination form that includes a brief statement (300-word limit) supporting your reasoning for this award nomination
• One additional supporting statement (300-word limit) from an individual within the college.
• Supplemental materials will not be accepted.

Selection Process: The nomination statements will be reviewed, and the recipients shall be selected by the IST Dean's Leadership Team. Any staff that are members of the Dean’s Leadership Team and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to these guidelines.

Past Winners

• 2023 - Lauren DiPerna
• 2022 - Kim Woodward
• 2021 - Chris Gamrat
• 2020 - Allie Ellison
• 2019 - Rita Griffith
• 2016 - Karen Brewster
• 2015 - Olivia Lewis

Nomination Form

This award is given to a staff member or team of staff who consistently provide high-quality service to the college. The recipient(s) of this award demonstrate a level of performance, methods, and achievements that exemplify the highest standards of support to the college and its varied personnel, including administration, alumni, faculty, staff, students and visitors. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate. In the case of a team award, the team will receive a cash award of $500 that will be equally divided among the team with no team member receiving less than $100. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Nominees must be employed by the College of IST for a minimum of one year as of the nomination deadline. Any full-time IST staff members (as defined in policy HR34) at University Park are eligible for the award. Term of employment is based on most recent IST date of hire (consecutive time) for full-time faculty and staff. Individuals that work 75% FTE are eligible. This does not include: wage, FT2, SUPP, adjunct, post-doc, visiting or emeritus. Individuals, who provide service to IST, but their primary work unit (development, finance, human resources, etc.), is outside of IST are eligible. Award winners from the previous year are not eligible for that particular award the following year.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the supporting statement and examples of the nominee's high standards of customer service to the college and its varied clientele including staff, administration, faculty, students and visitors to the college.

Nomination: Any staff or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials (including support statement).

Requirements:

• A completed nomination form that includes a brief statement (300-word limit) supporting your reasoning for this award nomination
• One additional supporting statement (300-word limit) from an individual within the college.
• Supplemental materials will not be accepted.

Selection Process: The nomination statements will be reviewed, and the recipients shall be selected by the IST Dean's Leadership Team. Any staff who are members of the Dean’s Leadership Team and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to these guidelines.

Past Winners

• 2023 - Jeannette Macalusco, Susan Agee, Elise Fiorante, Heidi Lewis, Meggan MacDonald, Kali McKeehan, Mary Morrow, Kristy Romaine, Laurie Shirey, Rebecca Thurmon-Irons, and Melissa Williams
• 2022 - Rita Griffith and Kathy Wiest, Chrissie Fitzgerald, Jenna Hart, and Carly Marshall
• 2021 - Jenna Sieber, Dean Croll, Brian Daigle, Fatima Ferguson, Amy Garrick, Chris Gamrat, Jon Hughes, Sharon Lazarow, Lisa Lenze, Kent Matsueda, and Trisha McKee
• 2020 - Laura Adams
• 2019 - Stephanie Krout, Christian Alves, Audrey Boob, and Kevin Wall
• 2018 - Shannon Johnson
• 2017 - Priscilla Cetnar, Lisa Crownover, Cindy Bierly, Karen Brewster, Debbie Kozel, Evelyn Mayhew, and Kathy Wiest
• 2016 - Kent Matsueda, Pam Long, and Lee Erickson
• 2015 - Kelly Bryan, Carey Stover, Cindy Keeler, and Tracy Ray

Nomination Form

This award is given to a staff member whose work contributed to the completion of a major project or program. This project or program would not have been possible without the leadership and perseverance of this individual. Consideration may also be given to a staff member who consistently strives for excellence in their work and leadership. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Nominees must be employed by the College of IST for a minimum of one year as of the nomination deadline. Any full-time IST staff members (as defined in policy HR34) at University Park are eligible for the award. Term of employment is based on most recent IST date of hire (consecutive time) for full-time faculty and staff. Individuals that work 75% FTE are eligible. This does not include: wage, FT2, SUPP, adjunct, post-doc, visiting or emeritus. Individuals, who provide service to IST, but their primary work unit (development, finance, human resources, etc.), is outside of IST are eligible. Award winners from the previous year are not eligible for that particular award the following year.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the supporting statement and examples of either the nominee's leadership and perseverance toward the completion of a major project or program within the college, or the nominee's overall high standard of work and leadership.

Nomination: Any staff or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials (including support statement).

Requirements:

• A completed nomination form that includes a brief statement (300-word limit) supporting your reasoning for this award nomination
• One additional supporting statement (300-word limit) from an individual within the college.
• Supplemental materials will not be accepted.

Selection Process: The nomination statements will be reviewed and the recipients shall be selected by the IST Dean's Leadership Team. Any staff that are members of the Dean’s Leadership Team and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to these guidelines.

Past Winners

• 2023 - Jordan Ford
• 2022 - Chris Milito
• 2020 - Chris Gamrat
• 2019 - Susan Agee
• 2018 - Lisa Lenze
• 2017 - Amy Garbrick
• 2016 - Cindy Bierly
• 2015 - Karen Brewster

Nomination Form

This award is given to a staff member whose performance on the job is exceptional and best exemplifies professionalism and dedication to the mission of the college and the University. This individual has the potential to make a significant impact not only on the College of IST but also the University as a whole. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Nominees must be employed by the College of IST for a minimum of six months as of the nomination deadline. Any full-time IST staff members (as defined in policy HR34) at University Park are eligible for the award. Term of employment is based on most recent IST date of hire (consecutive time) for full-time faculty and staff. Individuals that work 75% FTE are eligible. This does not include: wage, FT2, SUPP, adjunct, post-doc, visiting or emeritus. Individuals, who provide service to IST, but their primary work unit (development, finance, human resources, etc.) is outside of IST, are eligible. Award winners from the previous year are not eligible for that particular award the following year.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the supporting statement and examples of the nominee's exceptional performance, professionalism, and their potential to impact the College/University.

Nomination: Any staff or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials (including support statement).

Requirements:

• A completed nomination form that includes a brief statement (300-word limit) supporting your reasoning for this award nomination
• One additional supporting statement (300-word limit) from an individual within the college.
• Supplemental materials will not be accepted.

Selection Process: The nomination statements will be reviewed and the recipients shall be selected by the IST Dean's Leadership Team. Any staff that are members of the Dean’s Leadership Team and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to these guidelines.

Past Winners:

• 2023 - Logan Harvey and Nathan Mellace
• 2022 - Elizabeth Stouffer
• 2021 - Jeannette Macaluso
• 2020 - Hayley Wildeson
• 2019 - Allie Ellison
• 2019 - Sharon Lazarow
• 2018 - Betty Jo Houser
• 2017 - Kevin Wall
• 2016 - Christian Alves
• 2015 - Deb Pallo

The Dean’s Honor award is a special award that was created by the Dean to recognize an outstanding faculty and/or staff member. The award was created in 2016. 

The criteria for the award: 

Be an outstanding collaborator to produce positive results; demonstrate an intense commitment to providing excellent service to co-workers, faculty, and students; maintain perseverance in the face of adversity with the goal of advancing important initiatives that make the college a better place to work or study. 

The nomination process for this award is separate from the IST Faculty and Staff Awards process. If you would like to recommend a nominee for this award, please reach out to an Associate or Assistant Dean or the Chief of Staff to review and collaborate on the nomination. The Dean will review the nominations and determine if nominees are worthy of being recognized. 

The amount of a one-time supplemental compensation ranges from $1,000-$1,500 per award, which will be determined by the Dean. Nominations will be accepted at any point during the year; recipients will be recognized at the annual awards ceremony following their award.

Past Winners

• 2023 - Erica Fleming
• 2022 - Madhavi Kari, Kristy Romaine, Peggy Stanton, and Andrea Tapia 
• 2021 - Laura Adams
• 2021 - Peng Liu
• 2020 - Susan Agee
• 2020 - Lee Giles

Nomination Form

This award recognizes those IST faculty members who show great promise and have demonstrated a consistent ability to provide a high-quality educational experience for our students through their teaching of residential or online courses. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 and a certificate of accomplishment. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility:  Those eligible for this award are any full-time faculty members of the College of Information Sciences and Technology with no more than six years of service and who teach courses within the College of IST.

Selection Criteria: The IST Awards Committee shall select recipients. SRTE scores will be reviewed and taken into consideration. Any faculty who are members of the committee and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to the guidelines that are necessary to ensure the fulfillment of the above-stated objectives.

Nomination: Any student or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials. Nominations must include:

• A completed nomination form
• A narrative statement, not exceeding two pages, addressing the award criteria
• Other letters of support and/or materials are welcomed

Selection Process: The IST Awards Committee shall select Recipients. SRTE scores will be reviewed and taken into consideration. Any faculty who are members of the committee and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes in the guidelines that are necessary to ensure the fulfillment of the above-stated objectives. The awardee will be invited to present an address to the College community in academic year following the award.

Awardees in recent years

• 2023: Qingyun Wu
• 2022: Priya Kumar
• 2021: Daniel Susser
• 2020: Sarah Rajtmajer
• 2019: Ben Hanrahan
• 2018: Not awarded
• 2017: Jessie Li
• 2016: Dinghao Wu
• 2015: Peggy Fisher

Nomination Form

This award recognizes those IST faculty members who consistently provide an exceptional learning environment for students in the classroom or online through their innovative teaching, commitment to learning, and creative interface. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 and provided a $500 allotment to use for learning-enhancement initiatives, software purchase, student assistance, materials, or other related items. The awardee’s name will be placed as a permanent part of the award plaque displayed in the Westgate Building, and the awardee will be invited to present the McMurtry Lecture to the college community in the semester following the award.The recipient may receive the award only once every four years. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Those eligible for this award are any full-time faculty members of the College of Information Sciences and Technology who teach courses within the College of IST.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the faculty member’s use of innovative teaching techniques that could include, but not be limited to, such initiatives as new courses developed, the crafting of problems and exercises that promote learning, and/or innovative uses of pedagogy. Faculty who effectively incorporate team-based problem solving for the class, oral and written skill development, active approaches to learning, and on-line experiences to enhance their teaching will be given special consideration.

Nomination: Any student or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials. Nominations must include:

• A completed nomination form
• A narrative statement, not exceeding two pages, addressing the award criteria
• Other letters of support and/or materials are welcomed

Selection Process: The IST Awards Committee shall select recipients. SRTE scores will be reviewed and taken into consideration. Any faculty who are members of the committee and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to the guidelines that are necessary to ensure the fulfillment of the above-stated objectives.

Awardees in recent years:

• 2023: James Wang
• 2022: Bill Parquette
• 2022: David Hozza
• 2021: Alison Murphy
• 2019: Jeff Rimland
• 2018: David Fusco
• 2017: Steve Haynes
• 2016: Ed Glantz
• 2015: Jan Sturdevant
• 2014: John Hill
• 2013: Lynette Yarger
• 2012: Jake Graham
• 2011: Will McGill
• 2010: Don Shemanski
• 2009: Gerry Santoro
• 2008: Rosalie Ocker

Nomination Form

This award recognizes the significance of a particular contribution to those IST faculty members at University Park who have produced innovative and outstanding research results, contributed to breakthrough and high-impact research, or demonstrated the potential to solve challenging research problems as an individual or in a collaborative team during the prior calendar year. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate of accomplishment. The award will be given annually near the end of the spring semester. A recipient may receive the award up to two times. The College is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Those eligible for this award are any IST faculty members in the College of Information Sciences and Technology at University Park with no more than six years of service. Nominees must be involved in advising graduate students.

Selection Criteria: In its selection, the committee should consider the faculty member’s research contribution and its impact, measured by supporting letters from colleagues, results of scholarly publications and their citation analysis, degree of research funding, or other appropriate metrics, etc.

Nomination: Any student or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. The Associate Dean may also recommend a nominee per the Faculty Annual Review process. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials. Nominations must include:

• A completed nomination form
• One letter of reference from a senior scholar in the similar area
• A narrative statement, not exceeding two pages, addressing the award criteria
• Other letters of support and/or materials are welcomed

Selection Process: The IST Awards Committee shall select Recipients. Any faculty who are members of the committee and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes in the guidelines that are necessary to ensure the fulfillment of the above-stated objectives. The awardee will be invited to make a presentation to the College community in the academic year following the award.

Awardees in recent years

• 2023: Fenglong Ma
• 2022: Hadi Hosseini
• 2021: Ting Wang
• 2020: Xinyu Xing
• 2019: Saeed Abdullah
• 2018: David Reitter
• 2017: Jessie Li
• 2016: Eun Kyoun Choe
• 2015: Anna Squicciarini
• 2014: Dinghao Wu

Nomination Form

This award recognizes those IST faculty members who have achieved national and/or international recognition (individual, the college, and/or Penn State) for high-impact, innovative, and outstanding research that contributed to a significant advancement in the field of information sciences and technology. The recipient will be given a cash award of $500 along with a certificate of accomplishment. A recipient may receive the award only once. The college is not obligated to make an award every year.

Eligibility: Those eligible for this award are any full-time faculty members in the College of Information Sciences and Technology. Nominees must be involved in advising graduate students.

Selection Criteria: The evaluation will be based upon the evidence (e.g., citations) of the faculty member’s influence in a specified field of research and the overall impact of the faculty member’s research. The committee should consider originality, usefulness of a process or device to society, research contribution and its impact, (measured by supporting letters from colleagues), results of scholarly publications and their citation analysis, degree of research funding, or other appropriate metrics, etc.

Nomination: Any student or faculty member may bring forward one nominee. Self-nominations will be accepted. The Dean may also recommend a nominee per the Faculty Annual Review process. Nominators will be responsible for assembling support materials. Nominations must include:

• A completed nomination form
• One letter of reference from a senior scholar in the similar area
• Citations and/or evidence of research impact
• A narrative statement, not exceeding two pages, addressing the award criteria
• Other letters of support and/or materials are welcomed

Selection Process: The IST Awards Committee shall select recipients. Any faculty who are members of the committee and nominated for the award will be recused from the discussions and decisions. The Dean has the authority to make changes to the guidelines that are necessary to ensure the fulfillment of the above-stated objectives.

Awardees in recent years

• 2023: Prasenjit Mitra
• 2022: Dinghao Wu
• 2021: Frank Ritter
• 2020: Dongwon Lee
• 2019: James Wang
• 2018: Mary Beth Rosson
• 2017: Jack Carroll
• 2016: Vasant Honavar
• 2015: Peng Liu
• 2014: Lee Giles